PMCC purchases NextGen EHR and EPM software licenses

NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSII) and a leading provider of ambulatory healthcare and connectivity solutions, today announced that Piedmont Medical Care Corporation (PMCC), the administrative arm of the non-cardiology physician practice entities of Piedmont Healthcare (PHC), has purchased an additional 230 “bundled” NextGen Electronic Health Record (EHR) and NextGen Enterprise Practice Management (EPM) software licenses. PMCC has utilized NextGen EPM since 2000 and NextGen EHR since 2004, and is currently deploying the NextMD® patient portal. The organization cites its pursuit of financial incentives available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) as a reason for expanding its use of NextGen technology.

“We believe technology is the key to developing a truly integrated environment for care delivery, and we are committed to pursuing a strategy of clinical integration among all physician members,” said Ronnie Brownsworth, M.D., CEO of the Piedmont Clinic and executive vice president of Piedmont Healthcare. “The NextGen platform is a critical component of this strategy, and it also provides us with the functionality needed to meet meaningful use criteria and, ultimately, receive stimulus reimbursements.”

Since implementing NextGen EPM, PMCC has realized the following benefits:

• Increased physician income and gross collection rates;
• Near total elimination of errors and a reduction in associated costs;
• 75 percent reduction in patient calls to the central billing office (CBO);
• 70 percent decrease in claim denials; and
• 66 percent reduction in average days in A/R.

PMCC has leveraged NextGen EHR to identify potential drug-to-drug interactions and increase physician awareness of timing for critical screenings. In addition, the organization is using practice and provider feedback reports within NextGen Healthcare’s Health Quality Measures (HQM) Portal to analyze performance against Bridges to Excellence measures for improved patient care and EHR documentation processes.

“Federal incentives coupled with our push for clinical integration has created a ‘perfect storm’ for PMCC,” said Berney Crane, CEO of PMCC. “It is critical for us to jump on this opportunity and take a leadership position in the market. We feel that NextGen Healthcare provides the platform needed to do that.”

http://www.nextgen.com/